The Thief Lord: Return to Venice
by GirlInThePaintedMask
Summary: Scip changed back because the marry-go-round was destroyed. he is now about 16 and he's back with the gang. but when a beautiful and smart young girl joins the group things heat up. Scip starts to feel odd and so does Prop. who will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I opened my eyes. My room was dark and smelled musty. I sat up and rubbed my head.

My foster father, an angry drunk when it came right down to it, had beaten me again last night. He's a business man, and lately he's been angry because of his stalk profits. He lost over two million dollars when his stalks dropped last month. Of course I don't see any reason for him to be unhappy. Margret, my horrid foster mother, is a top fashion designer and pulls in about ninety-thousand dollars a year, not to mention bonuses. They have been swimming in money for as long as I've been with them. I had tried running away countless times but after the first few Rodger, my foster father, hired a few body guard type guys to make sure I didn't get away. For the past year, however, I stopped. This wasn't because I'd given up, oh no, I had a plan. If I could convince them that I had accepted them as my parents then I could convince them to take me somewhere else besides the huge house we lived in.

I got up and went down the stairs to the kitchen. Margret was drinking her coffee at the table when I walked in. she looked up and gasped. "What in the world did you do to your face?"

I wanted to say 'Your dumb husband, that's what.' but instead I just replied " I tripped over hamper last night cause I couldn't find the light switch." she looked at me. "Well then you need to work on being more careful." I nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." I said putting on my little act. She just raised her eyebrows and looked back to the magazine that was laid out on the table in front of her.

"Oh and we need to go sopping of some new clothes for you." she said still looking at the magazine. "Why?" I asked taking a mango out of the basket. "We're going on vacation this summer." she replied. "Oh," I said feeling a bit excited, my stomach getting tingly. "Can I ask where?" "Venice." she replied. I did my best not to show how truly excited I was when I heard that. It was perfect. The crowds, the tourists, the mazes of alleyways, the perfect place for a young, fifteen year old girl to get lost. Margret finished her coffee. "Well finish your breakfast and go get dressed I want to leave soon. We only have till tomorrow afternoon to get prepared. I nodded tossing the mango back in the basket and ran up stairs.

I took a quick shower then brushed my teeth. I ran into my room and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt. I was so happy I could stop pretending to be the innocent little girl these people wanted me to be. I could the person I really was. I would finally be able to stop pretending.

"Clara!" Margret yelled up the stairs. ' I hated when she called me that name. it wasn't my real name. my really name was Onyx, my mom had a sort of passion for odd things, Margret had it changed when they adopted me because she saw the name as 'atrocious', but even so I called out, "Coming" as I pulled my shoes on. I ran down the stairs being careful not to trip. We got in the car, a limo nun-the-less, and we rode to the mall. The day was spent going to designer stores, Margret piling up clothes on a girl's arms and me trying on outfits I really didn't like. After hour of this Margret was finally satisfied with what she had bought me.

When we finally got home she sent me up to my room to pack. I packed only the outfits I really liked, four out of the twenty she had bought me , and filled the rest of my suitcase with my other clothes. When I finished I looked at the clock. It said 10:54 pm. I lifted my mattress and pulled out the money I'd saved up. It was about 200 dollars. Now if your smart, you know that I would need a lot more then that if I was going to survive the streets of Venice. I would have to take the money from my foster parents.

I decided that tomorrow would be the better option for stealing money, it would give them less time to notice it was missing, well Rodger anyway. So instead I took off my clothes and found some pjs. Once I had changed I crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_I woke up, to the sound of my alarm clock. It was 9:00 in the morning. I moaned and hit my alarm clock shutting it off. I lifted my head off my pillow and looked around my room. My closet was mostly empty and my dresser was cluttered with never-used perfume bottles and a few small stuffed animals. _

_I got out of bed and descended the stairs. Margret met me at the bottom. "Oh, there you are." she said with a look of irritation on her face. "Your father moved our flight to 10:30 this morning. We have a privet jet so we need to be right on time. So hurry up and get dressed we need to leave in twenty minutes." 'he's not my father!' I wanted to say but instead I just nodded and went up the stairs to the bathroom. _

_I pulled my hair into a pony tail. I then went to my room and grabbed my suitcase and took it back to the bathroom I packed my hair brush, tooth brush, and a few other essentials. Then I stole into my foster parents room._

_I knew that Rodger had a shoe box filled with money for gambling and alcohol. It was hidden behind his pants in his dresser. I opened the drawer and pulled it out gently, careful not to make a sound. I then reached back and removed the shoe box. Inside where neatly stacked hundreds all bunch together by a rubber band. I took one bundle and put the box back. I set the drawer back into its place and ran back to the bath room. I stuffed the money into t small pocket on the very bottom of my suitcase. _

_When I was done I pulled it down the stairs with me and left it near the door. I went up to my room and pulled on the clothes I'd worn the day before because I'd forgotten to leave some out. I pulled a hoodie over my shirt so Margret wouldn't notice. _

_When I finished I went down the stairs. Rodger saw me and grabbed my wrist. "I don't want any funny business on this trip!" he said his face only a few inches from mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. _

"_I wouldn't dare." I replied. He pulled me towards the door. "We're going to be late." Margret said urgently. I was pushed into the back seat of the limo. Luckily I sat next to Margret and not Rodger. I mean don't get me wrong I hated then both, but Margret was defiantly the lesser of two evils. She was just petty and obnoxious and really very cruel sometimes but at least she didn't hit me. _

_When we got to the run way a few men took our bags I heard one remark that I must have packed rocks in my suit case. I turned to Rodger but he hadn't seemed to notice. I let a wave of relief wash over me. I was hauled onto the plane I took a seat further away from Rodger. I pulled out my ipod and looked out the window. _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I woke to Rodger's rough hand shaking me violently. "I'm up!" I said and put my ipod away. We took a taxi to our hotel.

The rooms we had were adjoined and they were five stories up, the very top level. _Figures_. I thought to my self. Rodger didn't want me sneaking away in the night when he couldn't watch me. His body guards were unable to come, except, of course, his favorite, Jimmy. They paid for his room, close to theirs and, coincidently, mine.

When we got to our rooms Rodger threw my suit case into my room and told me to unpack. I found it would be impossible to escape through the window because there was no ledge to old on to. If I was going to get away It was going to have to be when we went out, which would give me less time to run because they would notice I was missing pretty quickly. _Guess I brought all my stuff for nothing_. I thought. Because of this I unpacked, not wanting to upset Rodger anymore.

Once I had finished Margret told me to put on a clean outfit because we were going out to eat. I put on some new black slacks and the red blouse she had bought for me the day before. It was tight and I didn't like it much but I new it would keep them happy so I wore it anyway.

At dinner I didn't order any food just a water. Even though I hadn't eaten all day. I didn't like eating in front of them. Rodger usually took my plate and ate the rest anyway. They talked about things I didn't much care to know about.

I looked off into the crowds and saw a young boy cross the street with a girl. The boy had medium cut hair that fell in waves to his shoulders, in the back. His eyes were the of deepest blue I'd ever seen. The few freckles on his cheeks and nose gave him away to be about 14 or so, a little younger than me. The girl to his right had long black hair that fell to her waist. It was tied up in a long braid. Her clothes looked a lot like the ones I would usually wear.

"Clara! Did you hear me?" Margret asked sternly. "Oh I'm very sorry I must have just gone off into my own little world." I replied. " We are going shopping tomorrow." she said. "Alright." I replied sighing to myself. They continued to eat and talk for about thirty minutes or so.

As soon as we got back to the hotel I pulled out my favorite outfit. I stuffed every pocket in my cargo pants to the brim with things I was going to need. I would have to forget about my clothes but I didn't care. I had money, and if I needed to I would buy new clothes here in Venice. I folded my clothes back up and set them on the hotel dresser, and laid down. I needed all the rest I could get if I was going to escape tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Margret and I entered a large shop with lots of Venice nick nacks strewn on all the shelves. Margret held me by the wrist, so as not to let me escape. Lucky for me she found something interesting. Once she entered into a conversation about the piece with the store owner her hand loosened and slipped from my wrist. I waited till I was sure she was engrossed by the man's story I slid quietly out the door. Rodger had gone off somewhere and said he'd catch up with us soon.

As soon as I got out the door I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I soon came to a large fountain. I took my hair, and pulled it into a messy bun trying to disguise myself the best I could. I sat down to catch my breath.

"Why are you running?" said a sweet voice. I looked up to see a young boy with an equally sweet face. He had blond curls that fell to his chin and blue eyes of a deep blue as the sea, eyes that I'd seen somewhere before. I smiled a little bit and replied "I'm trying to get away from bad people." he cocked his head to the side. "What kind of bad people?" he asked. "My evil foster parents." he looked at me and his soft fingers touched my nose. "Did they do this to you?" he asked examining the rest of my face. "Yeah." I said. "What's your name?" he asked changing the subject. "I'm Onyx. How 'bout you?" "I'm Bo." I grinned at him. "That's an odd name. I like it." I said. "I like yours cause it's pretty." I chuckled a little at that. "You know you probably shouldn't be talking to me. You should go back to your parents." I said.

"Bo what did I tell you about talking to strangers!" came a sudden voice. I looked up and saw a boy approaching us. He had brown hair that fell to his shoulder his eyes were the same blue as Bo's, and full of worry. It was the boy I'd seen the that girl the night before. He grabbed Bo up in a hug. "I've been looking all over for you!" he said putting Bo down and looking him in the face seriously "Why'd you leave Hornet?" he asked. Bo looked over to me. "That girl was crying, I wanted to make her feel better." I wiped my face and realized I had been. The boy stood and looked at me. "I'm sorry I didn't mean any harm." I said. "It's ok." he said looking at me. "Prop! She's running from her foster parents. Can she come with us? Please?" Bo said tugging on the boy's jacket.

"I don't know if that's a good idea I mean.." I said but 'Prop' interrupted me. "Why are you running from them?" he asked with a serious expression. Before I could answer, however, Bo did. "They hit her. Look at her nose, and her wrists." he said pointing at the cut and the bruises on my wrists I had been given by Rodger. "Is that true." Prop asked looking back at me. "Yeah but it's really none of your business. I.. I'll just go." I said turning. "Wait." the boy said grabbing my wrist. The touch was not as hard as when Rodger grabbed me. This was a loose hold that I could have walked away from if I wished to, but instead I turned. "We can help." he said letting go of my wrist. "I don't want you to go to your parents. They'll just send me back and then I can never leave." I said. "What parents? We're orphans. I'm talking about taking you to the hide out." I looked at him questioningly. "The hideout?" I asked. He just smiled.

"Come on." he said motioning his head sideways. I smiled and looked around.

Then I saw them. They were standing about forty feet away looking around, looking for me. I turned my head sharply trying to hide my face. Prop saw this and looked over. "Is that them?" he asked eyeing the large man in the black. I just nodded. "Here," he said taking off his jacket and handing it to me. "Put this on otherwise they'll recognize you." I quickly took the jacket and pulled the hood over my head. Prop turned and took Bo's hand motioning me to follow them. I followed looking back at my foster parents.

Just then strong wind blew threw and my hood fell. I quickly pulled it back up but it was too late. They'd seen me. Prop turned his head at the loud "There they are!" and saw them start to run towards us. "Hurry." Prop said and grabbed my hand. We ran to a nearby alleyway we weaved threw the alleys as fast as we could. Prop picked up Bo and swung him over his back and took my hand again.

I looked back and saw they were hot on our trail, only about twenty feet behind and gaining. I pushed myself to run faster, my legs aching.

Eventually we came to a loading dock for a ferry. It was leaving so Prop and I gained speed and jumped. We landed on the deck with a thud. When we stood up we saw my foster parents yelling at one another because they had finally lost me.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

We got off the ferry at it's first stop. Prop held onto my hand while he lead me and Bo down corridors and alleyways.

Eventually we reached a door. Prop let go of my hand and knocked in an odd rhythm. A look out hole opened in the door and a pair of large brown eyes peered out. I pulled my hood up, a bit nervous. "What's the pass word?" the boy behind the door demanded. "Riccio," Prop said sighing "what password?" he asked. "the one I made up today." the boy stated simply. "We were gone all day. How are we supposed to know it if we weren't even here when you made it up?" the boy laughed. "Oh alright. Games up I guess." the boy said and closed the hole.

I pulled my hood closer to my face. There was a clang and some rattling of locks. Then the door opened, revealing a small boy with spiky brown hair. He smiled at Prop and revealed braces.

"Hey who's that?" he said nodding towards me. Prop took my wrist and gently tugged me forward. I took a few quick steps toward Riccio. "This," Prop said pausing slightly. "Is Onyx, and she needs a place t'a stay. Enough said?" he said. "Yeah alright." Riccio said motioning us in while holding the door open.

We walked into a small, dark, corridor. Prop reaced out and move aside a red curtain. Bright lights hit my eyes suddenly. I squinted for a moment then stared in wonder. The hide out was a theater. It had two levels to it and it was brightly lit. The old, worn out seats were red and stood in rows on the bottom level. The walls were covered with red velvet and small lights.

"Welcome to the Stella." Prop whispered in my ear. The girl I'd see in the square with Prop looked down. "Prop your back! When we couldn't find you in the square we got worried. We were gonna send out a search party." Prop smiled. "I ran into a bit of grown up trouble." he said.

"Who's that?" she asked looking at me. "Hornet this is Onyx. The cause of my gown up troubles." he said smiling at me to let me know he was kidding. Hornet looked down at me with curious eyes "Nice to meet you Onyx. I'm Hornet." I waved slightly with my hand.

Next a large boy ran to the ledge and looked down. He had dark skin and black eyes. "Did you see Scipio out there?" he asked seeming a bit worried. "No sorry. I thought he'd be back by now. What time is it?" "Oh don't even worry. You know Scipio he wont be back till at least two O' clock." Hornet said reassuring every one.

"Unless he just happened to be early this time." came a sudden voice from behind us. We suddenly turned to the stage of the theater. A boy wearing dark clothes and a black bird mask strolled in with a large bag over his shoulder.

"Scipio!" Hornet cried out and rushed down the stairs to meet him. "And with a cake I might add," Scipio said with a smile. Hornet rushed to the edge of the stage. "What did you get?" she asked excitedly. He reached his hand into the bag he'd been carrying. The contence of the bag shined and shimmered before our eyes. An assortment of jewels, gold, and sliver were among them. I was amazed by the glamour of the valuables but I didn't show it.

When every body had had their fill of gazing Scipio removed his mask. His hair was black as night, and his eyes darker still.

He looked down at me and knelt down till he was about a foot away from my face. "And who might you be?" he asked trying to get a look under my hood. I breathed deeply and spoke for the first time since I'd entered the Stella. "My name's Onyx." I said a little louder then I'd meant. The boy nodded still trying to make out my face. I started to remove the jacket Prop had lent me, saving the hood for last . At some point during the chase my hair had fallen out so, now that I didn't have the hood on, it fell down my back in dark waves. Scipio seemed to stare, but only for a moment. "I'm the Thief Lord," he said proudly. His statement echoing in the emptiness of the theater. "But you can call me Scipio. Only the little one's aloud to call me Scip though." he said with a smile. Reaching out and rubbing Bo's head messing up his golden locks. Bo just giggled.

Scipio jumped from the stage a took out a cake from the bag he'd been carrying. It was probably from an Italian bakery here in Venice. It was decorated with golden marzipan fruits and almonds.

I couldn't help but smile as we all sat around a table that had been set out in front of the stage. I sat in-between Scipio and Bo. We passed the cake around the table till everyone had a piece. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted. And for once I was eating in front of people I hardly knew. It felt nice.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I was given a sleeping bag, which I rolled out onto the floor. I stripped down to my tank top and Prop lent me some sweat pants to sleep in. I laid down in an unoccupied corner further away from everyone else's beds. I wasn't quite sure I fit in with them just yet.

Scipio came up from the lower level carrying a rolled up sleeping bag. When he saw me he walked over. " Mind if I roll out here?" he asked motioning next to me. I just shrugged. I didn't think he really needed to ask. He was just being polite. He smiled and rolled his bag out. When he was satisfied he laid down.

I fell asleep quickly, but my dreams were not untouched by the people I'd recently left behind.

I woke with a start and looked to my right. Scipio's sleeping bag was empty. Curious, I got up and crept down the stairs. I found the door of the theater ajar. I quietly opened it and walked outside. Scipio was sitting on the opposite side of the alleyway. His knees were pulled up and his chin sat on them.

He looked up at me but said nothing. I smiled slightly and sat down next to him. "Can't sleep?" I asked looking at him. He turned his head to me. "No. How 'bout you?" "Nightmare." I replied simply. He just nodded and looked up at the sky.

After a few moments of silence Scipio said, "So what's your story Onyx?" he asked looking over at me. "Well my parents died when I was nine, in a car crash. I was sent to the orphanage, and lived there for four years. I was adopted by the Backsters when I was thirteen. At first they were pleasant enough but then Rodger started hitting me when he would get drunk. That's when I started running away." I said looking at the ground. "For the past year, though, I've been pretending to like them. I finally convince them to take me on vacation and that's how I ended up here." I said finishing my story. "So he's the one who did this?" he asked. His hand cupped my cheek and his thumb rubbed over the cut under my eye. I just nodded.

I looked into the dark abyss of his eyes for a moment. He moved his hand back to his lap and looked up at the sky. I did the same. "Look there's the leo." he said pointing up over our heads. I just smiled a nodded.

"So what's your story?" I asked staring at the stars. "It's a long one." he said. "I've got time." I said.

He sighed and looked at me. " Well first off I'm not an orphan. At least not like them." he said nodding towards the Stella. "I used to take care of them by stealing from my father telling them that it was from other houses. My father never treated me like he loved me. He would beat me if I misbehaved and was content when I just disappeared. So a couple years ago I ran away. After looking for me for a year or so he moved away and left the Stella. Ever since I've had to start really stealing. At first I got close to getting caught every time. I've gotten better in the last year though. Now I stake out rich houses and take things in the night, sometimes stealing things for other people in exchange for money." he said looking down. "I have a job I have to do soon." he said with a sigh. "I have to steal a mask from the Lombardi house. It's the biggest job I've ever been asked to do, and I don't know if I can do it." he said putting his forehead on his knees.

"How is it big? It's just a mask." I said. He looked at me. "The family owns one of the biggest houses in Venice. The mask is over 300 years old. It was stolen from the princess by a man of the family, but no one ever knew, except the man I'm doing this job for's great great grandfather, or something like that. The mask itself is an artifact." he said explaining the importance. "It's a priceless object."

"How much is he willing to pay?" I asked. "sixty- thousand." I felt my mouth drop. He chuckled a little when he saw my expression. "I know it's a lot, but we need it. I want to give them things they need. Hornet needs new clothes, and Riccio needs a few more dentist appointments, and Mosca need finish for his boat, and the cats need fed, and I guess you'll need new clothes too. Won't you?" "You think of me as one of them?" I asked surprised. "Of course! Why wouldn't I? You deserve to be treated as one of them. You've sertantly been threw enough to be in the gang." he said.

"Well I just… I've just got here. I don't feel like I fit in much yet." I said shrugging. He looked at me and smiled. "They think you do." he said.

After awhile I decided I was going to prove myself as one of them. I took one of Scipio's hands in mine. "I'll help you with the job." I said softly. He raised his head, his eyes questioning. "I'm good at planning things out. I get all the way to plan H when I need to and if your gonna do this job then your going to need to be as prepared as possible." I said smiling at him. "Alright. We'll go tomorrow and stake it out." he said a large smile spreading across his face. "It's a deal." I said squeezing his hand once and looking back up at the sky.

**hey guys! sorry i took so bloody long to update. my computer broke down so i had to get a new one. fortunatly i found one and rewrote most of my stuff. Hope u guys like it. **

**~ GirlInThePaintedMask~**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Scipio, my new partner in crime, and I left early that morning, leaving Prop in charge. "Please can't we come with you?" Bo asked with his tired, puppy dog eyes. Scipio rubbed the boys head. "No I need you to stay here and guard the fort." Scipio replied.

Scipio wore his mask even though I thought it was a bit ridiculous. We stood next to a flower cart wile we watched the house.

It was four stories tall, and sat near the canal. The family was rich to be sure. From where I was seated I could see a large crystal chandler that hung in the second floor. The paintings that hung on the walls must have been worth a fortune, and the other items of décor were probably priceless. I had studied the type of house it was in architecture class. I knew how it had been put together and I started devising a plan on how to get the mask once we were in. I drew out the blue prints that I had studied for a whole semester.

The house was being set up for a party. We noted it and decide we should come back the next day.

When we went back to the Stella that night every one had a smile on their face. Prop had gotten over 2,000 for the stuff Scipio had gotten the night before. We had a good dinner of pasta alfrado, and we finished up the cake for desert. When it was time for bed I borrowed Prop's pj pants again. Scipio and I moved our beds a bit closer to Bo's, my head just beneath the top of his mattress.

Sleep did not come as easily to me as it had the night before. I stared at the wall, and when I heard a shuffle come from the bed above my head I lifted myself up to see what was wrong.

"Bo?" I whispered. He turned over to look at me, his blond curls falling in his face. "Onyx?" he said with a yawn. His poor little eyelids sagging. "Is everything ok?" I asked him. "I can't sleep." he said rubbing his eye. "Aw I'm sorry." I said. "Would like me to sing you a lullaby?" I asked smiling. He nodded vigorously. "I'm afraid I only know one. It's the one my mom used to sing me when I was little." I said scooting up to sit next to the bed. I pushed the curls out of his sweet face and began to sing.

_Ninna nanna di pace che invento _

_Pensando a un bambino _

_Che è arrivato stanotte dal mare col freddo che fa _

_Trasportato sulle ali del vento _

_Da un paese lontano, fin qua _

_Con in tasca il ricordo più dolce di un'altra città. _

_Ninna nanna di pace e domani sarà un giorno nuovo_

_Come dentro una fiaba che parla di felicità _

_Senza l'ombra del lupo cattivo e la strega non arriverà _

_Con un Re che assomiglia a mio nonno che la guerra non fa._

My voice grew slightly from it's quiet whisper.

_E canterò piano in una lingua che oggi tu non conosci,_

_E all'improvviso ogni parola capirai. _

_E sarà un canto di pace, di amicizia e fantasia _

_Ninna nanna e la tua mano é nella mia. _

My voice softened.

_Ninna nanna di pace per chi oggi tende la mani _

_Oltre il muro cercando qualcuno con cui giocare _

_Aspetta fino a domani _

_E vedrai svanire quel muro _

_Ninna nanna di pace a chiunque la pace non ha... _

_E nella mia casa la tua casa tu ritroverai _

_é piena di giochi e se vorrai saranno tuoi _

_Ma forse il gioco più me lo insegni proprio tu_

_Ninna nanna e la paura non c'è più! _

_Corri con me per un grande nascondino _

_Felice perché sai che io ti troverò _

_E dentro un bel sole il tuo sorriso _

_Brillerà insieme al mio _

_E saremo due fratelli tu ed io _

My voice quieted to a whisper.

_Ninna nanna e la tua mano é nella mia!_

I finished my voice very quiet. Bo's small eyes were closed and his breathing was even. I kissed his forehead, and wiggled back into my sleeping bag.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day was similar to the day before. We sat and watched as servants decorated the house with streamers, and moved the furniture within the house. My blue prints matched what I could see of the large house.

When a woman walked up to the gate of the house, _probably the house keeper _I thought_, _with two dogs and some boxes I took the opportunity. I ran over to her and asked her if she was In need of assistance. She looked me over a few times.

I was clean, and I wore some of Hornet's clothes that she'd be kind enough to lend me. My hair hung free and fell down my back. I knew my eyes matched the skies of today. The grey of the clouds made my eyes look like quick sliver.

After a few moments the woman handed me the boxes and unlocked the gate. She took me to the kitchen and had me put the boxes on the counter.

Even the kitchen was magnificent. It was like being in a five star restaurant. There were about seven people cooking and chopping up ingredients. The woman opened with refrigerator and pulled out a medium size piece of cake, and handed it to me. "For your help." she said. I smiled accepting the gift. "So are you all preparing for a party?" the woman looked at me and smiled. "Well only Carnival. It's the biggest party of the year! The master has a huge masquerade every year." she said. I smiled and nodded.

I left soon after the boxes had been taken care of. As I walked out I spotted Scipio.

The florist had gotten mad about something he'd done and was yelling. The man was very tall, much taller then Scipio and he was holding onto his coat lifting Scipio off the ground. Scipio did not fight he simply talked to the trying to explain his innocents. This only angered the man.

I decided that cake was going to come in handy after all. "Hey over here fat face." I said getting the large man's attention. I threw the cake at the man and it smacked him in the face. His nostrils flare as he stared at me, his eyes seeming to redden, and dropped Scipio. I started running to my left. Scipio ran to my side. The man ran after us like an angry bull.

Scipio and I traveled threw narrow alleyways, causing the man to fall behind because his broad shoulders wouldn't fit between the narrow walls.

Suddenly Scipio grabbed my hand and pulled me sideways. He pulled me into a doorway and put his hand on either side of my shoulders. "Shh…" he said to me when he saw I was about to protest. The man ran by missing us a few moments later.

Scipio relaxed and set his back against the old door with a small thud. He smiled and turned his head to me. "Thanks for that." He said nodding his head in the direction we'd come from. "What did you do to make him so mad?" I asked curious. "I don't know maybe he thought I was stealing flowers or something." he replied shrugging.

The sun was setting when we got back to the Stella. When we were eating I remembered something important. "Carnival." I said dropping my fork. Scipio looked at me. "What about it?" he asked uninterested. "That's how we get in!" I said excited. "What?" he asked confused. "The family is throwing a party for carnival. A masquerade ball." I said putting emphasis on masquerade. "The house keeper said it's the biggest party of the year." I said. Scipio looked at me and grinned. "I've got a plan." he said. "So do I." I said holding up my blue print and plan list.

That night me and Scipio disgust the plan. "We'll have to get masks if we don't want to be seen." I said simply. "And we'll have to get some fancy costumes. Rich people only." he added. "And we don't have the money." he said looking down. "I cant just spend all this money. The others still need food and supplies."

"I'll be right back." I said and ran to the pants I'd worn the first time I came to the Stella. I pulled the roll of hundreds, and ran back to Scipio. "It's not much, and we'll have to get it converted but maybe it'll help?" I asked handing him the money. His eyes grew wide. "How much is there?" he asked. I shrugged. "I don't know I didn't count it." I replied. "Where'd you get it?" he asked skeptical. "Stole it from my foster parents. I knew I would need it if I was going to escape." I said shrugging. He just smiled, his eyes bright.

"You know I heard you sing last night." he said. I could feel blood rush to my cheeks. I didn't usually sing. I wasn't really all that good. My mother had been an opera singer and tried to teach me, but she died before I ever really learned anything.

"No need to be embarrassed. It was really good." he said. "I wish! My mother was an opera singer but she never got a chance to teach me anything." I said. He smiled and took my hand. He turned it over in his hands and traced shapes on m palm. "I think your voice is lovely." he said looking down at my hand. I smiled and said "non bella come il tuo cuore." _not as lovely as your heart._

He smiled and stood, offering his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me up. I yawned and decided it was defiantly past my bed time.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I woke to the sound of shouting. Everyone was up and huddling over Prop's bed. At first my heart jumped out of my chest. My nightmare included Prop getting hurt because my foster parents recognized him as the boy that helped me escape. _What if that wasn't just a dream? _I thought to myself.

I got up quickly and pushed threw the small crowd. What I saw relived me. Bo sat, next to his brother, with one of his cats and her new litter of kittens. I smiled and looked around.

Scipio was nowhere to be seen. I looked to Hornet. "Where's Scipio?" I asked urgently. She met my eyes. "Oh he went to go buy some things for the 'plan'." she said turning back to the kittens.

I got up and changed into some new clothes. I washed my hair in the sink of the bathroom. I to a comb and wrestled with the fierce knots.

When I finished I went back to the balcony. I heard lots of talking but I couldn't see anyone. I looked down and saw everyone was crowded around the newly returned Scipio. I slid down the stair rail and joined the crowd.

Scipio had brought back two beautifully decorated masks. One was a gold with red and orange swirls, like fire, that covered half the face. It had colorful ribbon tied to the edges of the it. The other was smaller. It was a cream color and had gold lace around it's edges. Three small white feathers fanned out from the left corner of the mask. Around the eyes were small white beads. It also had ribbon. This ribbon was long and cream colored. Scipio held two clothing boxes in his hand and looked down at everyone as we stared at the beautiful masks.

I looked up at Scipio and smiled. He smiled back and held out his hand. I took it and he helped me up onto the stage. He handed me one of the boxes. "This is yours." he said. I opened the box an took out it's contents. The gown unfolded itself. I heard Hornet awe at the dress. It was made from a gold fabric. The gold swirling into itself. The middle was a cream color it was embroidered with gold and trimmed with gold lace. The sleeves were long and also gold. I looked at Scipio. "Carnival is tomorrow night." he said simply.

The dress matched the mask perfectly and when I saw myself in the mirror I hardly recognized myself. My eyes looked slightly golden due to the color of the dress, and mask. My hair rolled down to my waist.

A boy came into the mirror his hair was tied back into a ribbon. His attire consisted of long white socks that met with his gold pants. His coat, also gold, hovered just above his knees. His shirt was white and he had a red frock tucked into the cream colored vest he wore. He wore a mask that made his eyes look extremely dark in comparison.

When I realized who it was I smiled. "Well look at you." I said in approval. "I could say the same to you." Scipio answered. He walked up to me and took a necklace out of his pocket. I held up my hair as he clipped it. "Thank you for helping me with this." he whispered in my ear.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The streets were flooded with party goers. As we entered the gate to the house we saw that people were handing their invitations to the house keeper.

My stomach jumped to my throat. If we didn't find an invite then we weren't going anywhere. Why hadn't I planed for this? I should have known! I knew Scipio had also seen this but he simply held my hand tighter. I wasn't sure what he was going to do to get us in, but I hoped whatever it was it would work. As we approached the door I grabbed Scipio's arm.

When we got to the door the house keeper looked us over. My hair had been twisted into a partial up do while most of it still hung down to my waist. My lips were painted a light pink, and my dress shimmered in the light protruding from the house. Scipio looked very handsome. Is hair was pulled back and tied with a gold ribbon while a few shorter pieces fell to the front. His eyes looked extremely dark next to the gold of the mask. Scipio opened his mouth to say something but the house keeper cut him off.

"Oh you must be the Fortunato twins." she said smiling. "Your parents told me you would be here soon. A bit sooner than I expected though." she said. Scipio just smiled and went with it. "You can go ahead in." she said motioning to the door.

Scipio leaned his head forward in a small bow and continued threw the door.

The large room we entered into had many people talking and laughing. Many wore masks and richly colored costumes. I stared in wonder at the beauty of the house.

When I had finished I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see a man with a woman and a young boy.

"Ah the twins!" he said smiling. "It's been so long since I saw you last!" he said taking my hand and kissing it. I pulled it back as quickly as I could without causing suspicion. I just smiled and curtsied. "Last time we saw you was at your 3rd birthday. So I'm sure you don't remember us very well. I'm Orso Barbargio." he said a smile still on his face. "And this is my, lovely, wife Helen and our strapping, young son Amelio.

He's just turned sixteen as well." he said winking at me. I immediately felt uncomfortable with this whole thing.

Not soon enough the family was pulled away by other interest. I relaxed a little. Scipio gently pulled me into an even larger room that had couples dancing all around to the music coming from the balcony above. Scipio took my hand and lead me onto the floor when the song ended.

"No. I can't dance." I said trying to pull him back. He wound his arm around my waist and leaned next to my ear.

"Don't worry. I can." he whispered and we took our positions.

As the music started we turned into the dance. The skirt of my dress whirled as we danced. As I turned into his body he dipped me down. I giggled as he looked into my eyes and then hauled me back into his arms.

When the song ended Scipio took my hand and we went up stairs. When we found a large, museum like, room we entered and closed the door behind us. We looked around the room for the mask. I went to the desk and opened all the drawers, finding nothing but crumpled papers.

Scipio was on the other side of the room looking in the glass display cases.

When I had opened every drawer in the desk I turned and looked for my next station to search. As I leaned against the desk something under my finger moved. I looked down at the desk and saw that a chunk of the desk was pushed in and the bottom of the last drawer had pulled up to reveal a wooden box. I took it out and the bottom of the drawer closed.

The box was engraved with something in latin. All I could make out where the words death and sacred. I opened the box and came face to face with the most beautiful mask I'd ever seen. It was the color of the sea. And off the side was a silver fish. The blue silk of the mask was old but it had stayed untouched by moths and other insects. The mask was framed with small jewels that could only be diamonds. Whoever had had this mask had taken very good care of it.

I closed the box and turned to Scipio, excited to show him what I'd found.

Suddenly the door was kicked in and a man dressed in black, with a gun pointing at Scipio. He yelled in Italian, but I was to fast for me to catch. The man hadn't seen me so I crept nearer to him, slowly. As soon as I got close enough I stomped on his foot. He turned to me but before he could do anything I punched him in the nose with a large crack. His hands flew to his nose. Finally I kneed him where the sun don't shine and he dropped the gun. I picked it up and put it in the box. I quickly smacked the man as hard as I could, on the back of the head with the box. The wood cracked slightly and the man fell to the ground, unconscious.

I ran to the window. They were facing the back of the house. Luckily I spotted a gate at the back of the garden. I removed my shoes and started to climb down. Scipio caught on and found another window and did the same. Once I hit the ground I slipped my shoes back on. Scipio took my hand and we ran to the gate. As soon as we got there a crowd of men dressed in black burst threw the back door of the house. We ran threw the streets, as randomly as possible, to throw them off our trail. The men were gaining on us. I pushed myself to run faster. We got to a narrow alleyway. My shoulder hit the wall and the fabric of my dress tore.

I kept running, my legs screaming in pain, my breath coming harder every second. We heard a gun shot just behind us. We ran faster. My legs flew threw the air pushing me forward.

When we passed under some crates that were being held up by a string I remembered I had a gun. I took it out and aimed the best I could at the ropes. I heard the boxes fall and some shouts. _That'll slow them down._ I thought.

Once we were sure we'd lost them we ran to the Stella. Riccio opened the door. "One o'clock! Typical!" he said rubbing his eyes and yawning. _It's one o'clock already?_ I thought. When we finally got into the theater Hornet looked down at us. "Wow, you guys look like hell." she said smiling. "Did you get it?" Scipio, still out of breath, looked to me. "Well I think this is it but we didn't really have time to verify." I said. And opened the box. I heard Hornet gasp. I showed it to Scipio and he smiled, nodding.

Just the Prop ran to the rail of the balcony. He smiled down and then disappeared. Seconds later his was running towards me. He scooped me up in a hug. "Prop!" I said laughing at his suddenness, wrapping my arms around him. "I was worried. You two took forever." he said smiling. His eyes fell to my shoulder. "Oh, does that hurt?" he said. I hadn't felt it but apparently I had hit my arm on the wall harder than I'd thought. I had a bloody gash in my upper arm. "Hornet get your medical supplies." Scipio said taking my arm and examining it. Her eyes grew wide and she quickly nodded.

When she got back she quickly cleaned my wound and wrapped it in some gauze.

When I was all patched up Scipio came down stairs, back in his bird mask and black clothes. He took his trench coat off the hook by the door and told us he'd be back by morning. "Where are you going?" I asked him. "I have to get a message to my customer letting him know we have the mask." he said simply and disappearing threw the door, which Riccio shut behind him.

After telling them the story of how we got away everybody prepared for sleep. I heard a low whine escape Bo's lips as I laid my head down.

When I did my head shot up. I met Prop's eyes and we both hurried to see what was wrong. Prop took the small boys hand in his. The little boy's hair was plastered to his head with sweat and he was thrashing around his bed.

My had cupped his small cheek as I whispered his name. "Bo." I said gently patting his face. When he didn't wake up I said a little louder. "Bo. Wake up Bo."

He opened his eyes slowly and started to fill with tears. His arms quickly wound around my neck as he sobbed. "Shh.. Shh.. It's ok. Your ok. I was just a dream." I said patting his head awkwardly, kissing his head softly, and looking at Prop. The corner of his mouth rose slightly. "You," Bo sniffled. "What? What did I do?" I said soothingly. "You died." he said, starting a new wave of tears. "No. I'm still here. I promise I'm not going anywhere Bo." I said. He pulled away and looked into my eyes. "You promise?" he asked his big blue eyes staring into mine. "I don't promise," I said simply. His face fell. "I swear." I said. With that his eyes grew bright and he smiled. His hug grew tighter around my neck. When they loosened I unwound them and laid him down again. His eyelids drooped and he smiled. "Will you sing to me again?" I smiled. "Ok but only for you."

My voice was soft but grew louder quickly as I sang.

_Ninna nanna di pace che invento _

_Pensando a un bambino _

_Che è arrivato stanotte dal mare col freddo che fa _

_Trasportato sulle ali del vento _

_Da un paese lontano, fin qua _

_Con in tasca il ricordo più dolce di un'altra città. _

_Ninna nanna di pace e domani sarà un giorno nuovo_

_Come dentro una fiaba che parla di felicità _

_Senza l'ombra del lupo cattivo e la strega non arriverà _

_Con un Re che assomiglia a mio nonno che la guerra non fa._

_E canterò piano in una lingua che oggi tu non conosci,_

_E all'improvviso ogni parola capirai. _

_E sarà un canto di pace, di amicizia e fantasia _

_Ninna nanna e la tua mano é nella mia. _

Bo started to sing along softly, remembering the lyrics I had sang only a few nights before.

_Ninna nanna di pace per chi oggi tende la mani _

_Oltre il muro cercando qualcuno con cui giocare _

_Aspetta fino a domani _

_E vedrai svanire quel muro _

_Ninna nanna di pace a chiunque la pace non ha... _

_E nella mia casa la tua casa tu ritroverai _

_é piena di giochi e se vorrai saranno tuoi _

_Ma forse il gioco più me lo insegni proprio tu_

_Ninna nanna e la paura non c'è più! _

_Corri con me per un grande nascondino _

_Felice perché sai che io ti troverò _

_E dentro un bel sole il tuo sorriso _

_Brillerà insieme al mio _

_E saremo due fratelli tu ed io _

My voice quieted to a whisper.

_Ninna nanna e la tua mano é nella mia…_

Bo closed his eyes and fell asleep as I finished. I smiled and pulled his blankets up over him. When I looked back to the rest of the room I saw Riccio and Mosca had fallen asleep and Hornet's eyes were drooping.

When I looked at Prop I was met with his incredibly blue eyes. He smiled at me and grabbed my hand softly. "Thank you." he whispered. I squeezed his hand and smiled back.

We both went to our beds and laid down. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

_**Hey guys thanks for the great reviews! I really love having people who read my stories! keep 'em coming and I'll keep writing! sorry this one took so long, it involved a lot of action and I'll probably end up rewriting most of it. Hope you enjoyed!**___


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The following day we all went to town, Scipio with a bag. In it was the box that held the mask. Scipio wore his bird mask.

As we walked some people stared, and some just pretended not to notice us. The 'customer' had told Scipio that he would wait for him in a small café, called caffè nero, in the Palazzo Ducale.

As we got close Scipio turned to the group. "Okay you guys stay here." "Aww but why can't we come?" Whined Riccio. "Because I don't want him to feel like he's being ambushed," he explained. "And besides from here you'll still be able to see us." he said pointing at the café he was going to. "Fine." Riccio said crossing his arms and frowning. Then Scipio turned to me. "Ready?" he asked and I nodded.

We opened the door to the café. Cool air rushed into my face. Scipio looked around. His gaze landed on a man seated in the corner drinking a coffee. The man had short dark hair. He was a bit heavy around the middle and he wore thick glasses. Scipio approached the man and said " Ho la maschera che volevi." _I have the mask you wanted. _He held up the bag. "e ho i tuoi soldi." _And I have your money._ The man replied, taking out a briefcase.

The man looked at me in interest. "Chi è lei?" _Who's she?._ Scipio looked at him. "Lei è il mio partner" _she is my partner. _the man laughed. "una ragazza? una ragazza non poteva rubare anche se voleva." he said with a laugh. _a girl? a girl couldn't steal even if she wanted to._

Scipio's nostrils flared "I don't believe you came here to mock the girl who got you what you wanted." he said, angry. He man nodded ,solemnly, and handed Scipio the case.

Scipio sneered at the man, and took it, handing over the bag. Scipio took out a few bills and held them to the sun. He smiled when he found them to be real. He put the bills back and closed the case. The man looked at the box. He smiled a bit and opened it slightly so he could make sure the mask was the one he wanted. He closed the box quickly and nodded up at Scipio.

The man left with the box under his jacket. Scipio and I waited about five minutes till he was gone. We walked out of the café and back over to the rest of the gang.

"So how'd it go?" Hornet asked, raising her eyebrows in curiosity. Scipio opened the bag and showed it to them. Their eyes grew wide. "Is it all real?" Riccio asked, skeptical. "The bills I pulled out were so I trust the rest is as well." he replied with a shrug. Riccio smiled. Scipio quickly closed the bag, trying not to attract unwanted attention.

"Oh Prop do you think you might be able to go get food for tonight?" he asked looking a Prop. Prop nodded. "Onyx you go with him." he said, getting some money and handing it to Prop. "Alright." I said.

We walked to a store a few blocks away. We grabbed some tomatoes, sausage, and pasta. We also decided to get a small cake to celebrate.

Once we paid, we entered back into the street. We walked a few blocks, enjoying the sunset. The sun turned the undersides of the clouds pink and orange streaks flew threw the unoccupied air. Prop noticed me staring. "Beautiful isn't it?" he said, pulling me back to the real world. "Yeah. It is." I said turning to him. His eyes were soft as he looked at me, and reflected the sunset. When I looked forward again I was met with a terrible sight. "Oh you little…." Rodger grabbed a fistful of my hair pulling my head back. My mouth opened and let out a cry. "Let her go!" Prop shouted trying to get Rodger to let go the best he could. Rodger pushed him off and started pulling me with him by my hair. I clawed at his hand and arm to no avail. I saw Prosper get up but he was held back by Jimmy, who threw him down again. "No!" Prosper shouted trying to get back up.

I was thrown into a gondola that tipped slightly and the man looked at Rodger with disgust. I quickly scrambled out of the boat and into the water. Rodger reached for me but I swam away too quickly. Rodger fell into the water and started slapping around yelling. I learned sometime last year that Rodger couldn't swim, whereas I could. I swam to the other side of the large canal and pulled myself up. I looked back. The gondola driver was refusing to take Rodger to the other side and jimmy was busy trying to get Rodger out of the water. Prop was lying on the ground doubled up in pain. My heart sank. I couldn't just leave him and if I went back over to the other side I would get caught by Rodger, who at the moment was still having trouble getting out of the water.

I jumped into the cold water once again. I quickly made it to Prop's side. I helped him up and we ran. We were slower than I would have liked but fortunately the gondola man was on our side and tipped the boat just enough to sent Jimmy into the canal.

Prop and I quietly slipped away down an alley way. As we made our way back to the Stella I heard a faint yell. I smiled to myself because I knew we'd lost them. Unfortunately we'd lost the food too. We'd have to send somebody else out to get some.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I made it to the door and banged loudly. Riccio opened his peep hole and looked down at us. "Let us in." I said urgently. He glanced at Prosper and quickly opened the door. We walked, well more like tumbled, in. Riccio helped get Prosper up to his bed. Hornet almost screamed when she saw him. "Oh my gosh! Prop!" she said leaning down over him. "What happened?" she asked me. "It's Rodger. He saw us walking back and he tried to get me. Prop tried to save me but Jimmy got him."

"Who's Jimmy?" Mosca asked bringing medical supplies. "He's Rodger's bodyguard." I replied.

"What, so a big guy like him can't guard himself?" Riccio asked.

"No Jimmy was hired to make sure I didn't leave." I replied. Just then Scipio ran up the stairs.

"Riccio! I need you to make sure Bo doesn't come up here." With that Riccio raced off down the stairs.

Hornet raised her head and glared at me. "This is all your fault." She stated acid in her voice. "If it weren't for you running away this never would have happened."

"Hornet! He'll be fine. He knew there was the danger of being seen by them and he went anyway. This was his choice." Scipio said loudly, defending me.

I stood up suddenly. "I have to go." I said turning.

"You can't they'll still be out looking for you." Hornet said urgently.

"That's the point." I replied as I started down the stairs.

Scipio grabbed my arm and I looked back. "What do you think your doing? Prop almost died to save you and now your going back?" he asked. I looked into his dark eyes.

"I can't let it happen ever again. You're all in danger because of me and I'm sick of it." I replied pulling my arm away.

Scipio ran down the stairs after me. He finally caught me when I walked out the door. "Please Onyx! You can't just leave! Your family!" He said his dark eyes sad.

"I'm doing this to protect you." I replied turning away.

Suddenly Scipio grasped my shoulder, turning me around. He quickly grabbed my other shoulder and pushed his lips to mine.

**Sorry guys i know this one is uber short. I hope to make them longer soon. I need 5 more reviews or I WILL NOT UPDATE! I've got a busy life so please make this worth my time! Thanks every body!**

**-GirlInThePaintedMask**


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